Impella Recover line of cardiac support devices, manufactured by Impella CardioSystems GmbH, has received the highest approval level for reimbursement by the German governmental authority for healthcare (InEK). We have covered the technology in 2004. Since then the company has introduced a number of devices for a variety of supports: biventricular, left ventricular, right ventricular, the support via the femoral artery, the general peripheral support, and others.
This is how the system for LV support works:
The pump is inserted directly into the heart via the ascending aorta and is advanced through the aortic valve and into the left ventricle. It can remain implanted supporting the heart for up to 7 days.
Thus positioned, the pump draws blood from the left ventricle and delivers it into the ascending aorta. The pump is capable of supporting the human heart by delivering a total of up to 5 liters of blood per minute. The system is generally implanted after the thorax has already been opened for heart surgery.
The cool technology:
Development of the Recover® System was based upon Impella’s platform technology. An electric motor with a diameter of only 6.4 mm assures pump delivery rates of 5 to 6 liters per minute. Recover® is thus the world’s smallest and, above all, the only truly minimally invasive, mechanical cardiovascular support system. After all, the smaller the system to be implanted, the less invasive the surgery is for the patient. And the Impella system is so small that it can be inserted into the heart via the groin without opening the thorax and can be removed in the same way.
The micro-axial pumps keep damage to the blood to a minimum as well, the extent of which is greatly dependent upon the size of synthetic surface areas. The use of hemodilution medications can thus be significantly reduced as well (heparin). Due to the fact that a fully implantable system with micro-axial pumps is utilized (i.e. only one cable with a diameter of 3 mm (9F) exits the patient), the danger of infection is also extremely minimal. The system consists of the fully implantable Recover® LD & Recover® RD pumps, an impella®mobile console for controlling the system and the impella®purger for rinsing the pumps. The system is used all over Europe for providing temporary cardiovascular support.
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